Another Wolf Shoot

geospatial_junkiegeospatial_junkie Registered Users Posts: 707 Major grins
edited February 10, 2009 in Wildlife
It looked like a nice day, so I loaded up the Matrix and headed north to the Haliburton Wolf Centre. For those who have never been, I highly recommend it as it is a unique experience thats allows you to view wolves in a controlled 15 acre enclosure. The centre also boasts a wide selection of wolf literature for purchase as well as a small museum. The centre is part of the Haliburon Forest and Wildlife Reserve. If you are going for the photography, I would advise to go on an overcast day. The sun can wreak havoc on your white balance and your exposure.
Anyhow, it was a perfect day to test-run my new Nikon teleconverter (1.7x) on my 70-200mm lens. These images were shot with a D700 and a D80 with no digital alterations save some sharpening and white balance correction. Also, these wolves were captive (for all those purists out there)!


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Below, “Ginger” waits patiently for her turn to feed. Ginger occupies the Omega position in the pack so she needs to fight for everything she gets.

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I was fortunate to go during feeding time. This time, it was beaver for dinner. Beaver pelts are bought from trappers in the area and stored in a cooler. Occasionally deer and moose carcasses are also fed to the pack.

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Here, “Smudge”, the alpha male of the pack (white wolf) asserts his position on “Cedar” (male wolf beneath Smudge). Hierarchy plays a large role in the daily lives of wolf packs.

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"Haida" (above) was born a couple of years ago and is in a middle position in the pack right now. Due to the size of the enclosure and the dangers involved, biologists have recently confirmed that Haida is a male. His dark fur made him difficult to photograph and a polarizer was essential especially when shooting through one-way glass.

The Nikon TC-17E II performed amazingly well. It was paired with a Nikon 70-200mm 2.8 and a Tiffen polarizer. I was really interested to see if I experienced and fringing on the corners when shot wide open, especially with the polarizer and I was pleasantly surprised. I got miniscule darkness in some shots, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed. I found the extra reach of the 1.7x teleconverter and the D80 crop factor of 1.5x gave me a focal length of 510mm, just enough reach to get some nice shots. Anything less would have left one feeling a little short.
"They've done studies you know. Sixty-percent of the time, it works every time."

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Comments

  • grimacegrimace Registered Users Posts: 1,537 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2009
    Wonderful series of shots!! The white balance looks perfect.
    -Adam
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  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2009
    really enjoyed these thumb.gif

    Nothing like a good food show to make me hungry :food rolleyes1.gif
    Benjamin
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  • NorthernFocusNorthernFocus Registered Users Posts: 1,347 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2009
    Looks like a fun day. Glad to see the 1.7x performed so well. I just bought one and haven't had it in the field yet.

    Nice set of images here. Thanks for posting thumb.gif
    Dan

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  • MaestroMaestro Registered Users Posts: 5,395 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2009
    Great series. I really enjoyed the ones where they were feeding on the carrion. Even though these images are of captive wolves, the images have an "in the wild" feel. Well done.
    Stephen
    www.capture-the-pixel.com

  • The Wild EyeThe Wild Eye Registered Users Posts: 92 Big grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    GREAT STUFF!!! I really want to go now!! What else can you tell me about going there? It's about a 19 hour drive from my house! Would it be worth it? Do you walk or drive through the farm? Can you shoot all day there or only a few hours?

    THANKS AND GREAT WORK!!
    The Wild Eye

    Canon 1D Mark II, 16-35mm, 28-135mm, 50mm, 100-400mm, 1.4X, 600mm FD & 1.4X FD.

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  • leaforteleaforte Registered Users Posts: 1,948 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    Nice photos. I only question a five+ wolve pack on 15 acres. That is a very small footprint of land to hang out on. Is it a rescue or something? And do they feed them the beaver pelts? Is there nutrition in the hide? That's the beauty of photography, it reaches, and teaches, at least me, daily. Thanks for sharing.
    Growing with Dgrin



  • geospatial_junkiegeospatial_junkie Registered Users Posts: 707 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    leaforte wrote:
    Nice photos. I only question a five+ wolve pack on 15 acres. That is a very small footprint of land to hang out on. Is it a rescue or something? And do they feed them the beaver pelts? Is there nutrition in the hide? That's the beauty of photography, it reaches, and teaches, at least me, daily. Thanks for sharing.

    There is a lot of nutrition and fat in the hide of a beaver belt. The 15 acre in enclosure is relatively large and dominated by different types of habitat, open field, creeks, thick woods, sparse woods, etc...

    Feeding occurs randomly once per week or so as they would in the wild. The biologists at the centre try to keep feedings as random as possible to emulate the wild.
    "They've done studies you know. Sixty-percent of the time, it works every time."

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  • geospatial_junkiegeospatial_junkie Registered Users Posts: 707 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    The Wild Eye wrote:
    GREAT STUFF!!! I really want to go now!! What else can you tell me about going there? It's about a 19 hour drive from my house! Would it be worth it? Do you walk or drive through the farm? Can you shoot all day there or only a few hours?

    THANKS AND GREAT WORK!!

    Its not a farm, its more like an enclosure. You can only view them from two sections of one-way glass at the visitors centre. If you go during the weekend, you'll be dealing with some people. The week is best if you can take a day off work. Also, try to go on a cold day and be there at 10am (when they open) as the wolves are much more active then.

    The centre also boasts dog-sled tours, canopy tours (cloud walk) in the summer, astronomy viewing platforms and more.

    It is not guaranteed you'll see the wolves when you go up to the centre as there is only a small viewable section and they could go anywhere in the enclosure.
    "They've done studies you know. Sixty-percent of the time, it works every time."

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  • leaforteleaforte Registered Users Posts: 1,948 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    geospatial_junkie wrote:
    There is a lot of nutrition and fat in the hide of a beaver belt. The 15 acre in enclosure is relatively large and dominated by different types of habitat, open field, creeks, thick woods, sparse woods, etc...

    Feeding occurs randomly once per week or so as they would in the wild. The biologists at the centre try to keep feedings as random as possible to emulate the wild.

    Good to know. I know that we have a refuge called Wolf Haven down the road from me (Tenino, WA), where they are trying to raise and reintroduce the Mexican Grey Wolf (nearly extinct at one point) back into the wild.
    Growing with Dgrin



  • geospatial_junkiegeospatial_junkie Registered Users Posts: 707 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    The Wild Eye wrote:
    GREAT STUFF!!! I really want to go now!! What else can you tell me about going there? It's about a 19 hour drive from my house! Would it be worth it? Do you walk or drive through the farm? Can you shoot all day there or only a few hours?

    THANKS AND GREAT WORK!!

    Let me know if you are heading down this way (Lindsay, ON) and I'll head up with you! :D
    "They've done studies you know. Sixty-percent of the time, it works every time."

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  • dlplumerdlplumer Registered Users Posts: 8,081 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    Very cool series. Great job clap.gif
    Dan
    http://danielplumer.com/
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  • geospatial_junkiegeospatial_junkie Registered Users Posts: 707 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    dlplumer wrote:
    Very cool series. Great job clap.gif

    Thank you dplumer.
    "They've done studies you know. Sixty-percent of the time, it works every time."

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  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    Excellent captures and I have had excellent results with the 1.7 also.
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • geospatial_junkiegeospatial_junkie Registered Users Posts: 707 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    Harryb wrote:
    Excellent captures and I have had excellent results with the 1.7 also.

    Its surprisingly sharp, considering I was hand-holding a D700, battery pack, 70-200 2.8 and 1.7 tele. Usually I use a tripod, but I decided to travel "light" this time.

    Hopefully, I'll iron out some kinks in technique before I head out for moose and bear in the spring.
    "They've done studies you know. Sixty-percent of the time, it works every time."

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